Validation of an ICD-10 case-finding algorithm for endometrial cancer in US insurance claims

PURPOSE

To evaluate the positive predictive value (PPV) of an endometrial cancer case finding algorithm using International Classification of Disease 10th revision Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM) diagnosis codes from US insurance claims for implementation in a planned post-marketing safety study. Two algorithm variants were evaluated.

METHODS

Provisional incident endometrial cancer cases were identified from 2016 through 2020 among women aged ≥50 years. One algorithm variant used diagnosis codes for malignant neoplasms of uterine sites (C54.x), excluding C54.2 (malignant neoplasm of myometrium); the other used only C54.1 (malignant neoplasm of endometrium). A random sample of medical records of recent incident provisional cases (2018-2020) was requested for adjudication. Confirmed cases showed biopsy evidence of endometrial cancer, documentation of cancer staging, or hysterectomy following diagnosis. We estimated the PPV of the variants with 95% confidence intervals (CI) excluding cases that had insufficient information.

RESULTS

Of 294 provisional cases adjudicated, 85% were from outpatient settings (n = 249). Mean age at diagnosis was 69.3 years. Among the 294 adjudicated cases (identified with the broader algorithm variant), the same 223 were confirmed endometrial cancer cases by both algorithm variants. The PPV (95% CI) for the broader algorithm variant was 84.2% (79.2% and 88.3%), and for the variant using only C54.1 was 85.8% (80.9% and 89.8%).

CONCLUSION

We developed and validated an algorithm using ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes to identify endometrial cancer cases in health insurance claims with a sufficiently high PPV to use in a planned post-marketing safety study.

The Application of Lag Times in Cancer Pharmacoepidemiology: A Narrative Review

With the increasing utilization of medications worldwide, coupled with the increasing availability of long-term data, there is a growing opportunity and need for robust studies evaluating drug-cancer associations. One methodology of importance in such studies is the application of lag times. In this review, we discuss the main reasons for using lag times. Namely, we discuss the typically long latency period of cancer concerning both tumor promoter and initiator effects and outline why cancer latency is a key consideration when choosing a lag time. We also discuss how the use of lag times can help reduce protopathic and detection bias. Finally, we present practical advice for implementing lag periods. In general, we recommend that researchers consider the information that generated the hypothesis as well as clinical and biological knowledge to inform lag period selection. In addition, given that latency periods are usually unknown, we also advocate that researchers examine multiple lag periods in sensitivity analyses as well as duration analyses and flexible modeling approaches.

Biomarker testing in patients diagnosed with advanced/metastatic medullary thyroid cancer in the United States

Aim: To describe real-world testing patterns for RET in US patients with advanced/metastatic medullary thyroid cancer and determine consistency of real-world testing practices with national guidelines. Materials & methods: The authors performed a retrospective medical record analysis of patients with advanced/metastatic medullary thyroid cancer who initiated systemic therapy between 2013 and 2018. Seventy-five US-based oncologists collected the data using a customized electronic data collection form. Results: A total of 59.6% (121 of 203) of patients underwent testing for RET, and 37.2% (45 of 121) had a RET mutation, of which 55.6% were identified as RET mutation-positive before initial diagnosis. Overall, 90 (44.3%) patients were tested for biomarkers on or after initial diagnosis, with RET being the most tested (95.6%) biomarker. Conclusion: The authors' findings suggest an opportunity to improve testing rates in accordance with treatment guidelines.

The Risk of Melanoma With Rasagiline Compared With Other Antiparkinsonian Medications: A Retrospective Cohort Study in the US Medicare Database

Purpose

Compare the risk of melanoma between initiators of rasagiline or other antiparkinsonian drugs (APDs) in a Parkinson's disease (PD) population.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was conducted in the US Medicare claims research database (2006–2015) in adults aged ≥65 years with PD claims. Other APD initiators were randomly matched (4:1) to rasagiline initiators on age, sex, and cohort entry year. Cutaneous melanoma events were identified by a validated claims algorithm. Incidence rates (IRs), incidence rate ratios (IRRs), and Cox‐adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for melanoma comparing rasagiline with other APD initiators were calculated and analyzed by duration of study medication use and cumulative dose of rasagiline. Potential indicators of surveillance bias were explored.

Results

Among 23 708 rasagiline initiators and 96 552 matched APD initiators, the crude IR of melanoma/100 000 person‐years was 334.3 (95% confidence interval [CI], 291.5–381.6) and 208.2 (95% CI, 190.1–227.5), respectively (crude IRR 1.61; 95% CI, 1.36–1.89). The adjusted HR was 1.37 (95% CI, 1.14–1.65) and increased with longer rasagiline exposure and higher cumulative rasagiline doses. Rasagiline initiators more frequently had dermatologist visits or skin biopsies before cohort entry than APD initiators and had a higher incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer during follow‐up (crude IRR, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.35–1.54).

Conclusions

A small increased incidence of melanoma with exposure to rasagiline compared with other APDs was observed. Although the pattern with dose and duration is consistent with a hypothesized biologic effect, the increased skin cancer surveillance among rasagiline users suggests surveillance bias as a contributing explanation for the observed results.

Diagnostic characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes for patients with advanced/metastatic medullary thyroid cancer

Background

Medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) accounts for approximately 1.6% of new cases of thyroid cancer. The objective of this study was to describe patient characteristics, biomarker testing, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes among patients with advanced/metastatic MTC in a real-world setting in the United States and to identify potential gaps in the care of these patients.

Methods

Selected oncologists retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients aged ≥ 12 years diagnosed with advanced MTC. Patients must have initiated ≥ 1 line of systemic treatment for advanced/metastatic MTC between January 2013–December 2018 to be eligible. Patient characteristics, biomarker testing, and treatment patterns were summarized descriptively; progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were estimated using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

The 203 patients included in this study had a mean (SD) age of 52.2 (10.4) years; mean (SD) duration of follow-up from start of first-line treatment was 24.5 (16.0) months. Most patients (82.8%) were initially diagnosed with stage IVA, IVB, or IVC disease. Among all patients, 121 (59.6%) had testing for RET mutations, of whom 37.2% had RET-mutant MTC. The RET-mutation type was reported for 28 patients; the most common mutations reported were M918T (64.3%) and C634R (32.1%). Of the 203 patients, 75.9% received only one line of systemic treatment for advanced disease, and 36% were still undergoing first-line therapy at the time of data extraction. Cabozantinib (30.0%), vandetanib (30.0%), sorafenib (17.2%), and lenvatinib (4.9%) were the most common first-line treatments. Among 49 patients who received second-line treatment, most received cabozantinib (22.4%), vandetanib (20.4%), lenvatinib (12.2%), or sunitinib (12.2%). Median PFS (95% confidence interval [CI]) from start of first- and second-line treatments was 26.6 months (20.8–60.8) and 15.3 months (6.6-not estimable [NE]), respectively. Median OS from initiation of first- and second-line treatment was 63.8 months (46.3-NE) and 22.4 months (12.4-NE), respectively.

Conclusions

For the treatment of advanced/metastatic MTC, no specific preference of sequencing systemic agents was observed in the first- and second-line settings. Considering the recent approval of selective RET inhibitors for patients with RET-mutant MTC, future research should investigate how treatment patterns evolve for these patients.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13044-021-00119-9.

Long-Term Risk of Skin Cancer and Lymphoma in Users of Topical Tacrolimus and Pimecrolimus: Final Results from the Extension of the Cohort Study Protopic Joint European Longitudinal Lymphoma and Skin Cancer Evaluation (JOELLE)

Purpose

Evidence is insufficient to infer whether topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCIs; tacrolimus and pimecrolimus) cause malignancy. The study objective was to estimate the long-term risk of skin cancer and lymphoma associated with topical TCI use in adults and children, separately.

Patients and Methods

A cohort study in Denmark, Sweden, UK, and the Netherlands was conducted. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), melanoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) excluding CTCL, and Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) in new users of TCIs versus users of moderate/high-potency topical corticosteroids.

Results

The study included 126,908/61,841 adults and 32,605/27,961 children initiating treatment with tacrolimus/pimecrolimus, respectively. Follow-up was ≥10 years for 19% of adults and 32% of children. Incidence rate ratios and (95% confidence intervals) for tacrolimus versus corticosteroid users in adults were <1 for melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and Hodgkin lymphoma; and 1.80 (1.25–2.58) for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. For pimecrolimus, IRRs in adults were <1 for non-Hodgkin lymphoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma; and 1.21 (1.03–1.41) for melanoma; and 1.28 (1.20–1.35) for nonmelanoma skin cancer. In children, results were inconclusive due to few events. In adults, incidence rate ratios ≥5 years after first topical calcineurin inhibitor exposure were not higher than in overall analyses.

Conclusion

Overall, we found little evidence associating use of topical calcineurin inhibitors with skin cancer and lymphoma; confounding by indication, surveillance bias, and reverse causation may have influenced these results. Even if causal, the public health impact of these excess risks would be low and confined to the first years of exposure.

Serum lipid trajectories in the years before a lymphoma diagnosis

We conducted a case-control study of patients from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink in the United Kingdom to describe the trajectories of serum lipid in the years before a diagnosis of lymphoma. Study participants had at least one cholesterol measurement. Multilevel, multivariable linear longitudinal models were fit to examine the adjusted trajectories of serum lipid levels in the years before lymphoma diagnosis. Overall, 11,969 cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, 473 of Hodgkin lymphoma, and 61,894 controls were selected. Mean cholesterol levels in the years before the index date showed a more pronounced decrease in the 4 years before lymphoma diagnosis than in controls. Triglycerides levels were unrelated to case status. This research is the first to replicate the results of a similar study conducted in the United States while adjusting for more potential confounders. The newly described different behavior of cholesterol and triglycerides suggests a potential role of cholesterol in lymphomagenesis.

CAR T-cell therapy in relapsed/refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: physician preferences trading off benefits, risks and time to infusion

Aims: We evaluated physicians' willingness to trade-off benefits, risks and time to infusion for CAR T-cell therapy for relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Materials & methods: In a discrete-choice experiment survey, 150 US oncologists/hematologists chose between two hypothetical CAR T-cell treatments defined by six attributes. Results: Decreasing time to infusion from 113 to 16 days yielded the greatest change in preference weight (1.91). Physicians were willing to accept a >20% increase in risk of severe cytokine release syndrome and 15% increase in risk of severe neurological events in exchange for an increase in the probability of overall survival at 24 months from 40 to 55%. Conclusion: Physicians value reducing time to infusion and will accept incremental increases in serious adverse event risks to gain survival improvements.

Real-world evidence on survival, adverse events, and health care burden in Medicare patients with mantle cell lymphoma

Most data on overall survival (OS) and adverse events (AEs) in patients with mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) are from controlled trials; therefore, in this population-based study, we retrospectively assessed treatment patterns, OS, and AEs in MCL patients initiating systemic treatment during 2013-2015 using the United States Medicare claims database. Among 1390 eligible patients (median age = 74 years), chemoimmunotherapy with bendamustine/rituximab (BR) was the preferred choice in first-line (35.3%), followed by ibrutinib (33.5%), rituximab (9.1%), and rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine (R-CHOP) (6.8%). Twenty-four-month OS was 73% for BR; 47%, ibrutinib; 72%, rituximab; and 71%, R-CHOP. For the four most commonly used regimens, neutropenia, anemia, hypertension, and infection were the most frequent AEs. Patients with ≥3 AEs had nearly four times higher monthly costs than those with 0-2 AEs in the first observed therapy line. Findings demonstrate a substantial increase in the economic burden as the number of AEs increased among the Medicare MCL patients.

Overall survival, adverse events, and economic burden in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia receiving systemic therapy: Real-world evidence from the medicare population

Background

Information on overall survival (OS) and adverse events (AEs) in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is mostly available from clinical trials. We therefore conducted a population‐based retrospective cohort study to assess OS, incidence of AEs, and economic burden in real‐world practice among Medicare patients treated for CLL.

Methods

Patients with CLL receiving ≥1 systemic therapy from 2013 to 2015 were selected from the Medicare claims database and followed from the start of first observed systemic therapy (index date) through December 2016 or death. OS for patients receiving each of the most commonly observed treatments was estimated by the Kaplan–Meier method. AEs were assessed among patients receiving these treatments across all observed lines of therapy. All‐cause direct medical costs were assessed from the Medicare system perspective.

Results

Among 7,965 eligible patients across all observed therapy lines, ibrutinib monotherapy (Ibr; n = 2,708), chlorambucil monotherapy (Clb; n = 1,620), and bendamustine/rituximab (BR; n = 1,485) were the most common treatments. For first observed therapy, 24‐month OS estimates for Ibr, Clb, and BR recipients were 69% (95% CI = 68%–71%), 68% (95% CI = 65%–71%), and 79% (95% CI = 77%–81%) respectively. The most frequently recorded AEs in patients receiving these treatments in any observed line of therapy were neutropenia, hypertension, anemia, and infection. For all patients, the mean monthly all‐cause cost during the follow‐up period was $8,974 (SD = $11,562); cost increased by the number of AEs, from $5,144 (SD = $5,409) among those with 1–2 AEs to $10,077 (SD = $12,542) among those with ≥6 AEs.

Conclusion

Over two‐thirds of patients survived at least 2 years after starting their first observed therapy for CLL. Our findings highlight considerable susceptibility to AEs and unmet medical need in Medicare patients with CLL treated in routine practice. Medicare incurred substantial economic burden following initiation of systemic therapy, and patients with greater numbers of AEs accounted disproportionately for the high overall cost of CLL management.

A prospective observational study of patient-reported functioning and quality of life in advanced and metastatic breast cancer utilizing a novel mobile application

Purpose

To assess and describe patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in women with locally advanced/unresectable or metastatic breast cancer (aBC/mBC) with hormone receptor-positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HR + /HER2 −) status receiving palbociclib combination therapy in a US real-world setting.

Methods

A prospective, noninterventional, multicenter longitudinal study was conducted in US patients initiating treatment with palbociclib combination therapy for HR + /HER2 − aBC/mBC. PRO data (SF-12; CES-D-10; mood; pain; fatigue; interference of aBC/mBC or its treatment on family life, social life, physical activity, energy, and productivity; overall health rating; and quality of life [QOL]) were collected via a custom-developed mobile application at daily, weekly, and cycle-based intervals. Patient medical information (demographics, clinical characteristics, treatment information, and adverse events) was collected from medical records at baseline and at the end of the 6-month follow-up period.

Results

Patients’ general health status (SF-12) remained consistent throughout treatment and was generally consistent with published norms for individuals diagnosed with cancer. The presence of depression (CES-D-10) was low and did not change substantially over time. Mean pain and fatigue scores using an 11-point numeric rating scale were low and remained stable. Patients, on average, reported neutral or positive moods. Patient-reported QOL and overall health was primarily “Good,” “Very good,” or “Excellent.” Findings were consistent regardless of patient experience with neutropenia.

Conclusions

Patients treated with palbociclib, on average, reported consistently low levels of pain and fatigue as well as good QOL and overall health that remained stable throughout the first 6 months of treatment regardless of episodes of neutropenia.

Supplementary information

The online version of this article (10.1007/s10549-020-06082-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

BRCA testing and outcomes in women with breast cancer

MAIN PURPOSE

Germline BRCA mutations (BRCAm) strongly influence the risk of developing breast cancer. This study aimed to understand the role of BRCAm testing in affected individuals and to assess its impact on the outcome of BRCAm carriers compared to non-carriers (BRCAwt) with breast cancer.

RESEARCH QUESTION

The research question is "Does standard of care testing for BRCAm improve survival outcomes of breast cancer patients?"

METHODS

In a single institution observational cohort study, demographic and clinical characteristics were compared between breast cancer patients with and without BRCAm. Frequency of BRCA testing was assessed. Survival outcomes were assessed by initial treatment setting stratified by BRCA status.

RESULTS

Of 5712 identified women with breast cancer, 14.6% (n = 835) were tested for a BRCA mutation and had a documented result. The total number and proportion of women tested for a BRCAm increased between 2000 and 2014, resulting in an increased number of BRCAm carriers identified. However, the proportion of women who underwent testing and had a BRCAm decreased during the study period from 27.5% in 2000-2004 to 13.3% in 2010-2014. Disease-free survival was similar in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant treatment settings between BRCAm and BRCAwt patients. Progression-free survival on first line treatment and overall survival for patients with metastatic disease was also similar between BRCAm and BRCAwt patients.

CONCLUSIONS

The proportion of women tested and the number of BRCAm identified increased during the study period despite a decreasing proportion of positive results among women tested.

Incidence of second primary malignancies in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer: results from observational studies in three countries

Aim: This reports some of the first incidence rate (IR) estimates of second primary malignancies (SPMs) in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) in three countries. Patients & methods: Claims data from the German Pharmacoepidemiological Research Database; registry data from the Prostate Cancer Data Base Sweden; and combined registry-claims data from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results-Medicare database were analyzed to obtain overall survival and incidence of SPMs in men with mCRPC. Results: SPMs occurred in 308 German (n = 2360), 273 Swedish (n = 2849) and 172 US (n = 2234) men with mCRPC. IRs of SPMs were 79.0 (95% CI: 70.4–88.4), 101.7 (95% CI: 90.3–114.5) and 59 (95% CI: 50–68) per 1000 person-years in German, Swedish and US cohorts, respectively. Conclusion: These studies report some of the first IR estimates of SPMs in men with mCRPC, providing a historical risk estimate of SPM in this patient population.

Treatment patterns, adverse events, and direct and indirect economic burden in a privately insured population of patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer in the United States

BACKGROUND

Real-world evidence specific to HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer (MBC) prior to introduction of CDK4/6 inhibitors is limited. In an effort to provide context for the introduction of new treatments, we assessed treatment patterns, adverse events, productivity loss, and direct/indirect economic burden in a privately insured population of patients with HR+/HER2- MBC.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Using a retrospective cohort design, patients aged 18-64 years, selected from MarketScan databases (2007-2014), were analyzed using descriptive and multivariable methods.

RESULTS

Among 5,563 eligible patients, endocrine therapy was the most common first-line (1L) therapy; its utilization trended downward from 63% (1L) to 23% (4L), with a simultaneous increase in chemotherapy use, 25% (1L) to 50% (4L). Two hundred and seventy-eight unique treatment regimens were used in the 1L setting. The average per patient monthly all-cause costs were $14,424. The 12-month indirect costs for short-term disability were substantially higher in MBC patients ($10,397) than in matched noncancer patients ($394).

CONCLUSION

The increasing use of chemotherapy as patients progressed to second and later lines and the substantial direct/indirect economic burden underscore an unmet need. The high number of 1L regimens highlights significant heterogeneity and a lack of consensus related to the management of HR+/HER2- MBC in routine practice.

US Budget Impact Model for Selinexor in Relapsed or Refractory Multiple Myeloma

Objective

To estimate the budgetary impact of adopting selinexor (XPOVIO; Karyopharm Therapeutics, Inc.) for the treatment of adult patients with penta-refractory multiple myeloma (MM) from the perspective of a third-party payer in the United States (US).

Methods

A budget impact analysis was conducted in one-year increments for the first 3 years after the introduction of selinexor for a private payer or Medicare Part D. Total annual treatment costs (2018 US dollars) were calculated as the sum of drug costs, costs of adverse events (AEs; grade ≥3), along with ongoing best supportive care costs. The number of eligible patients was derived from national epidemiology statistics, healthcare databases, and published literature.

Results

In the base-case analysis, selinexor was associated with a per member per month (PMPM) cost of $0.0103 in year 3, assuming a market uptake of 64%, for a hypothetical private payer plan with one million members and four eligible patients. In a scenario analysis with 16 eligible patients with triple-class refractory MM regardless of the line of therapy (this additional scenario analysis was performed with an eligible population that does not fit squarely within the approved label for selinexor but was performed strictly for the purpose of demonstrating the results of the budget impact model when based on a larger pool of eligible patients), the estimated PMPM cost in year 3 was $0.0388. The model showed comparable sensitivity to treatment duration, wholesale acquisition cost for selinexor, and year 1 uptake. The base-case analysis conducted from the perspective of Medicare Part D was associated with a PMPM cost of $0.0078 in year 3 with 159 eligible patients.

Conclusions

The model estimates a small and manageable budget impact of adopting selinexor into a third-party US payer plan, given the low prevalence of penta-refractory MM.

Clinical management patterns of advanced and metastatic gastro-oesophageal carcinoma after fluoropyrimidine/platinum treatment in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom

OBJECTIVE

To describe treatment patterns and resource utilisation in France, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom (UK) in patients with unresectable locally advanced and/or metastatic gastro-oesophageal adenocarcinoma (GEA), who failed first-line fluoropyrimidine/platinum treatment.

METHODS

Treating physicians completed a web-based chart review (2013-2015). Eligible patients were ≥ 18 years old; had unresectable locally advanced and/or metastatic gastric adenocarcinoma including the gastro-oesophageal junction; received first-line fluoropyrimidine/platinum-based therapy; and had ≥ 3 months of follow-up after first-line discontinuation. Data were summarised descriptively for each country.

RESULTS

There were n = 201 patients in France, n = 202 in Germany, n = 208 in Spain and n = 200 in the UK whose charts were reviewed. Percentages of patients receiving second-line therapy were 55% (France), 48% (Germany), 54% (Spain) and 29% (UK). At the start of second-line therapy, most patients had an ECOG performance status of 1 (range 0-3). Second-line therapy was primarily monotherapy, but agents used varied within and across countries. Supportive care use and resource utilisation were frequent whether receiving additional therapy or not; >60% patients had clinic visits unrelated to chemotherapy administration, and > 30% has ≥ 1 hospital admission.

CONCLUSIONS

For the time of study, established GEA treatment guidelines were generally followed. However, therapies varied widely in the second-line setting.

Treatment patterns, survival and economic outcomes in Medicare-enrolled, older patients with HR+/HER2- metastatic breast cancer

Background: Endocrine therapy (ET) remains a foundation of systemic therapy for HR+/ HER2- metastatic breast cancer (MBC), although chemotherapy (CT) is used in select patients. In this "real-world" study, we explored treatment patterns, health care resource use (HCRU), costs, adverse events (AEs) and overall survival (OS) in Medicare-enrolled, older patients with HR+/HER2- MBC. Methods: Patients with HR+/HER2- MBC (2007-2011) and aged >66 years were retrospectively analyzed using the SEER-Medicare data. Treatment patterns, HCRU, costs, AEs and OS after MBC diagnosis through end of study period (31 December 2013) were examined using descriptive and multivariable analyses. Results: Among 3622 eligible patients, ET was the most common treatment (77%), followed by CT (50%), radiation (48%) and surgery (19%). The proportion of patients treated with ET monotherapy decreased across therapy lines, from 74% in first line (1 L) to 35% in 4 L. The total number of unique therapy regimens used was 181 in 1 L, 171 in 2 L, 128 in 3 L, and 95 in 4 L. The median OS from MBC diagnosis was 25.3 months (95% CI, 24.0-26.7). In multivariable analyses, receipt of CT and combination CT + ET (versus ET monotherapy) in 1 L, metastatic disease at initial diagnosis, larger tumor size, and presence of visceral and brain metastases at MBC diagnosis significantly predicted receipt of 2 L therapy. Conclusions: ET was the most common first-line treatment for study patients, but its use decreased gradually in the subsequent lines. The heterogeneity in the treatment selection highlights a lack of consensus for the management of HR+/HER2- MBC in routine practice.

Medical record review of transition to lanreotide following octreotide for neuroendocrine tumors

BACKGROUND

Octreotide has been used for decades in the United States (US) and Europe to treat patients with advanced neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Lanreotide was approved in 2014 to improve progression-free survival (PFS) in patients with unresectable, well- or moderately-differentiated, locally advanced or metastatic gastroenteropancreatic NETs. Therefore, clinicians and patients may consider sequencing therapy from octreotide to lanreotide. However, current real-world outcomes data on patients who have made this transition is limited.

METHODS

We conducted a multicenter, noninterventional, retrospective medical record review of patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastroenteropancreatic NETs (NCT03112694). Included patients had been treated with long-acting octreotide monotherapy for ≥90 days before transitioning to lanreotide monotherapy and continued on lanreotide for ≥90 days. Abstractors entered patient demographic and clinical data into a customized, web-based case report form. We assessed clinically defined PFS and other tumor-related outcomes while patients were treated with lanreotide. Outcomes were analyzed according to level of response at the time of transition from octreotide to lanreotide: progressive disease, nonprogressive disease, or unknown. Statistical analyses were descriptive. Clinically defined PFS and duration of treatment with lanreotide were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

Data were abstracted for 91 patients with gastroenteropancreatic NETs who received long-acting octreotide followed by lanreotide at six US based sites. At initial diagnosis, 71.4% of patients had stage IV disease. Small intestine (63.7%) and pancreas (14.3%) were the most common primary tumor sites. Mean [standard deviation (SD)] duration of follow-up from diagnosis was 70.6 (41.3) months. Patients received long-acting octreotide for a mean (SD) of 38.4 (32.8) months. When patients transitioned to lanreotide, 57.1% had nonprogressive disease on octreotide, 30.8% had progressive disease, and the remainder had unknown disease status. The most common reasons for switching from octreotide to lanreotide were progressive disease (22.0%), formulary change (15.4%), and patient preference (9.9%). Patients received lanreotide for a median (95% CI) duration of 24.7 (16.7-59.9) months. At the end of follow-up, 74% of patients remained on lanreotide monotherapy. Progression occurred in 24.2% of patients during lanreotide treatment. Overall median (95% CI) clinician-defined PFS following the transition to lanreotide was estimated to be 23.7 months [20.2 months-NE (not estimable)]. Patients with nonprogressive disease when they transitioned to lanreotide experienced a median clinician-defined PFS of 24.7 (17.0-NE) months. Among patients reported to have progressive disease when they transitioned to lanreotide, median (95% CI) clinician-defined PFS was estimated to be 15.2 (11.4-NE) months. There were no material differences in adverse events recorded during the long-acting octreotide and lanreotide treatment periods.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study suggests that lanreotide monotherapy is well tolerated and may contribute to stabilization of disease in a subset of patients with locally advanced or metastatic gastroenteropancreatic NETs previously treated with long-acting octreotide.

Treatment patterns, adverse events, and economic burden in a privately insured population of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in the United States

INTRODUCTION

Contemporary data describing treatment patterns, adverse events (AEs), and outcomes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in clinical practice are lacking. We conducted a retrospective cohort study and assessed treatment patterns, AEs, health-care resource use (HCRU), and costs in patients with diagnosis of CLL.

METHODS

Using a nationally representative population of privately insured patients in the US, adult patients with CLL diagnosis (July 2012-June 2015) were selected if they had continuous health plan enrollment for ≥12 months before the first CLL diagnosis without any evidence of any CLL-directed treatment. Treatment patterns up to four lines of therapy (LOT) and occurrence of AEs during CLL therapies were assessed. Mean per-patient monthly HCRU and costs were assessed overall and by number of unique AEs.

RESULTS

Of all patients meeting the selection criteria (n = 7,639; median age, 66 years), 18% (n = 1,379) received a systemic therapy during study follow-up. Of these, bendamustine/rituximab (BR) was the most common first observed regimen (28.1%), while ibrutinib was the most common therapy in the second (20.8%) and third (25.5%) observed regimens. The mean monthly all-cause and CLL-related costs, among patients treated with a systemic therapy, were $7,943 (SD = $15,757) and $5,185 (SD = $9,935), respectively. Mean monthly all-cause costs increased by the number of AEs (from $905 [SD = $1,865] among those with no AEs to $6,032 [SD = $13,290] among those with ≥6 AEs).

CONCLUSIONS

Chemoimmunotherapy, particularly BR, was the most common first observed therapy for CLL, whereas ibrutinib was most preferred in the second and third observed lines of therapy during the study period. Findings demonstrate that the economic burden of AEs in CLL is substantial.

Relative efficacy of interventions in the treatment of second-line non-small cell lung cancer: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has progressed after first-line treatment has a poor prognosis. Recent randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have demonstrated survival benefits of alternative treatments to docetaxel. However, information is lacking on which patients benefit the most and what drug or regimen is optimal. We report a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA) of second-line treatments in all subgroup combinations determined by histology, programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation.

METHODS

MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Biosciences Information Service (using the Dialog Platform), Cochrane Library, and abstracts from scientific meetings were searched for RCTs published up to September 2015. Key outcomes were overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). Bayesian hierarchical exchangeable NMAs were conducted to calculate mean survival times and relative differences for eight subgroups, using docetaxel as the reference comparator. For OS, the NMA was based on hazard ratios applied to a first-order fractional polynomial model fitted to the reference treatment. For PFS, a second-order fractional polynomial model was fitted to reconstructed patient-level data for the entire network of evidence.

RESULTS

The search identified 30 studies containing 17 different treatment regimens. Docetaxel plus ramucirumab was associated with a significant improvement in OS and PFS, relative to docetaxel, regardless of patient type. Docetaxel plus nintedanib showed similar efficacy to docetaxel plus ramucirumab in the nonsquamous populations. EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) erlotinib and gefitinib showed superior levels of efficacy in EGFR mutation-positive populations and the one PD-1 immunotherapy (nivolumab) studied showed superior efficacy in the populations exhibiting high PD-L1 expression.

CONCLUSIONS

In the absence of head-to-head comparisons, we performed a mixed-treatment analysis to synthesize evidence of the efficacy of each treatment. Benefits are optimized by targeting specific treatments to individual patients guided by histology, PD-L1 expression, and EGFR mutation status.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION

This review is registered in PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42014013780 available at www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO ).

Adverse events, resource use, and economic burden associated with mantle cell lymphoma: a real-world assessment of privately insured patients in the United States

In view of recent therapeutic advances in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), the aim of this retrospective cohort analysis was to assess treatment patterns, adverse events (AEs), resource utilization, and health care costs in patients with MCL in a US-based commercial claims database. A total of 783 patients with MCL (median age = 65 years) were selected. Among patients receiving systemic therapy (n = 457), the most common treatment regimens were bendamustine/rituximab (BR) (41.1%), rituximab/cyclophosphamide/doxorubicin/vincristine (RCHOP) (26.7%), rituximab monotherapy (20.4%), and ibrutinib monotherapy (14.2%). Mean monthly costs during treatments with BR, RCHOP, rituximab, and ibrutinib were $12,958, $24,719, $13,153, and $21,690, respectively. Mean monthly cost during follow-up was $13,650 among patients with ≥6 AEs versus $5131 among those without AEs. The costs of MCL varied considerably by treatment regimen and care setting. The overall economic burden of managing patients with MCL can be substantially affected by costs associated with managing AEs occurring during treatment.

Abstract P6-18-27: Withdrawn

This abstract was withdrawn by the authors.

Citation Format: Odom D, Mitra D, Hollis K, Richardson D, Kaye JA, McRoy L. Withdrawn [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-18-27.

Systematic review of sequencing of ALK inhibitors in ALK-positive non-small-cell lung cancer

The objective of this study was to understand outcomes of patients treated with ALK inhibitors, especially when ALK inhibitors are followed by other ALK inhibitors. A systematic literature review was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane through July 17, 2017. Conference abstracts (three meetings in past 2 years) also were searched. Of 504 unique publications, 80 met inclusion criteria (47 clinical trials, 33 observational studies). Observational studies have the potential to provide information for ALK inhibitors used sequentially. Ten observational studies reported median overall survival of crizotinib-led sequences ranging from 30.3 to 63.75 months from initiation of crizotinib; 49.4-89.6 months from metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer diagnosis; and 15.5-22.0 months from initiation of the second-generation ALK inhibitor after initial crizotinib. Sequencing of ALK inhibitors may benefit patients progressing on initial ALK inhibitors.

Incidence of skeletal-related events in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer

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Background: Skeletal-related events (SREs) are common in men with bone metastases and have negative consequences for patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), including pain, reduced quality of life, and increased risk of death. Published data on background rates of SREs in men with CPRC in real-world practice are sparse. Methods: We included men aged ≥ 65 years in the SEER-Medicare database with a prostate cancer diagnosis in 2000-2011 if they had no prior malignancy, had surgical or medical castration, and met protocol-defined criteria for castration resistance. Castration resistance was inferred from subsequent treatment with any of these systemic therapies: abiraterone, cabazitaxel, docetaxel, enzalutamide, mitoxantrone, or sipuleucel-T. The first occurrence of an SRE was identified in Medicare claims using diagnosis or procedure codes for fracture, bone surgery, radiation therapy, or spinal cord compression. We estimated incidence rates (IRs) of SREs in all eligible person-time and stratified by person-time before and after any use of the following bone-targeted agents (BTAs): alendronate, denosumab, ibandronate, pamidronate, risedronate, or zoledronic acid. Results: Of 2,234 men with CRPC (84% white, mean age 76.6 years), 896 (40%) had an SRE during follow-up, with 74% occurring within a year after cohort entry. Overall, the IR of SREs was 3.78 (95% CI, 3.53-4.03) per 100 person-months. The IR of SREs before any BTA use was 4.16 (95% CI, 3.71-4.65) per 100 person-months, and after any use was 3.60 (95% CI, 3.32-3.91) per 100 person-months. Conclusions: In this large cohort of elderly men with CRPC in a real-world setting in the U.S., SREs were common, with most occurring within a year after cohort entry. Although a direct causal interpretation of the difference in rates before and after BTA use is not possible (since confounding by indication and other factors cannot be excluded), further analysis may address at least some potential confounders.

Adjuvant treatment patterns and outcomes in patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom based on the LuCaBIS burden of illness study

OBJECTIVES

To inform health-technology assessments of new adjuvant treatments, we describe treatment patterns in patients with complete resection of stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in France, Germany, and the United Kingdom (UK).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were collected via medical record abstraction. Patients were aged ≥18 years with completely resected stage IB-IIIA NSCLC, diagnosed between 01 January 2009 and 31 December 2011. Median follow-up was 26 months. Adjuvant treatment patterns and clinical outcomes were summarized descriptively.

RESULTS

Among the 831 patients studied, 239 (29%) had stage IB disease, 179 (22%) had stage IIA disease, 165 (20%) had stage IIB disease, and 248 (30%) had stage IIIA disease. Adjuvant systemic therapy was received by 402 patients (48.4%), (France, 61.8%; Germany, 51.9%; UK, 33.4%). Use of adjuvant therapy increased with increasing stage of disease. Cisplatin/vinorelbine and carboplatin/vinorelbine were the most frequently prescribed adjuvant regimens. Median disease-free survival was 48.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 42.3-not estimable); the 25th percentile was 13.2 months (95% CI, 11.0-15.3). 204 patients (24%) died during the follow-up period. The median overall survival was not reached, the 25th percentile was 31.2 months (95% CI 26.8-36.0 months). 272 patients (33%) had disease recurrence during the follow-up period. For 86 of those patients, the first recurrence was local or regional with no distant metastasis and 14 had further progression to metastatic disease during the follow-up time. For the other 186 patients, the first recurrence involved distant metastases. A total of 200 patients had metastatic disease at any time during study follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Less than half the patients with stage IB-IIIA NSCLC in this observational study received adjuvant systemic therapy. A high rate of first recurrence with distant metastatic disease was observed, emphasising the need for more effective systemic adjuvant therapies in this population.

Abstract A45: Treatment patterns and outcomes among platinum-refractory/resistant ovarian cancer patients

Background: Real-world evidence on current treatment patterns and outcomes is limited for patients with platinum-refractory/resistant epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer (PRROC). This study aimed to describe the treatment patterns and outcomes of patients with PRROC in the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), and Canada (CA).

Methods: Physicians retrospectively reviewed medical records of females aged ≥18 years diagnosed with PRROC from January 2010 to June 2014. Follow-up data available through October 2016 were extracted. Patient characteristics, initial PRROC treatment regimens, and associated health care utilization were assessed descriptively; clinical outcomes were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional-hazards methods.

Results: Data were obtained on 392 US, 296 UK, and 82 CA patients. At initial diagnosis of epithelial ovarian, fallopian tube, or peritoneal cancer, 65.8% (US), 93.3% (UK), and 82.9% (CA) of patients had stage III/IV disease and 43.6% (US), 73.7% (UK), and 56.1% (CA) had high-grade tumors. Most patients were diagnosed with PRROC in 2013 or 2014 (US: 64.8%, UK: 72.3%, CA: 64.6%) and mean age at PRROC diagnosis was 57 years in the US and CA and 59 years in the UK. The proportion of patients with ECOG performance status (PS) ≤1 at PRROC diagnosis was 57.7% in the US, 80.1% in the UK, and 36.6% in CA. Most patients received systemic treatment after PRROC diagnosis (US 71.4%; UK 83.1%; CA 81.7%). Most of the patients received only one treatment line at the time of extraction (US: 64.3%, UK: 75.6%, CA: 70.2%). Bevacizumab ± chemotherapy (US 41.4%; UK 12.6%; CA 35.8%) and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) monotherapy (US 18.6%; UK 50.0%; CA 34.3%) were the most common initial therapies. Common subsequent treatments varied between the countries, including topotecan, gemcitabine, PLD, paclitaxel. During initial treatment for PRROC, 80.7%, 59.8%, and 44.8% of patients had at least one office visit and 18.9%, 7.3%, and 19.4% of patients had at least one emergency department visit in the US, UK, and CA, respectively.

Hospitalizations during initial treatment for PRROC were observed among 17.5% of patients in the US, 10.2% in the UK, and 14.9% in CA. Treatment toxicity was the most common reason for hospitalization (US 75.5%; UK 64.0%; CA 80.0%). Median progression-free survival (PFS; 95% confidence interval) was 6.4 (5.4-9.3), 8.0 (6.8-9.2), and 5.6 (4.9-6.2) months in the US, UK, and CA, respectively. The Cox proportional-hazards model showed that stage III/IV, high-grade tumors, and poorer PS were associated with shorter survival.

Conclusions: Even though bevacizumab ± chemotherapy and PLD were the most common initial PRROC treatments in the three countries, relatively higher utilization of bevacizumab ± chemotherapy was observed in the US and CA than the UK, plausibly due to lack of bevacizumab reimbursement in the UK for the treatment of PRROC. Limited PFS and a high prevalence of hospitalization due to treatment toxicity observed with initial treatments suggest a continued need for more effective and tolerable treatment strategies for PRROC.

Citation Format: Rohan Parikh, Samantha Kurosky, Margarita Udall, Jane Chang, Joseph C. Cappelleri, Jim P. Doherty, James A. Kaye. Treatment patterns and outcomes among platinum-refractory/resistant ovarian cancer patients. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Conference: Addressing Critical Questions in Ovarian Cancer Research and Treatment; Oct 1-4, 2017; Pittsburgh, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Clin Cancer Res 2018;24(15_Suppl):Abstract nr A45.

Treatment patterns and health care resource use in patients receiving multiple lines of therapy for metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck in the United Kingdom

This study evaluated the patterns of care and health care resource use (HCRU) in patients with metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) who received ≥3 lines of systemic therapy in the United Kingdom (UK). Oncologists (n = 40) abstracted medical records for patients with metastatic SCCHN who initiated third‐line systemic therapy during 1 January 2011–30 August 2014 (n = 220). Patient characteristics, treatment patterns and SCCHN‐related HCRU were summarised descriptively for the metastatic period; exploratory multivariable regression analyses were conducted on select HCRU outcomes. At metastatic diagnosis, most patients had an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status (PS) of 0/1 (95%). For patients with PS 0/1, the most common first‐line treatment was cisplatin+5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU); docetaxel was the most common second‐ and third‐line treatment. For patients with PS ≥ 2, the most common first‐, second‐, and third‐line treatments were carboplatin+5‐FU, cetuximab, and methotrexate, respectively. Most patients received supportive care during (85%) and after (89%) therapy. This study provides useful information, prior to the availability of immunotherapy, on patient characteristics, treatment patterns, HCRU, and survival in a real‐world UK population with metastatic SCCHN receiving ≥3 lines of systemic therapy. Patterns of care and HCRU varied among patients with metastatic SCCHN; specific systemic therapies varied by patient PS.

Treatment patterns and survival among older adults in the United States with advanced soft-tissue sarcomas

Background

To describe patient and tumor characteristics, treatments, and survival among older adults in the United States with advanced soft-tissue sarcoma (STS), across and by categories of specifically defined histologic subtypes.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis using the SEER. The study population comprised patients ≥ 65 years old with advanced STS (excluding osteosarcoma, Kaposi sarcoma, and gastrointestinal stromal tumors) diagnosed from January 1, 2001 to December 31, 2011.

Results

Of 4274 study patients, 2103 (49.2%) were male. Mean age was 77.8 years, and 1539 (36.0%) had distant disease at initial diagnosis. The most common histologic categories were leiomyosarcoma (922[21.6%]), undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (652[15.3%]), and liposarcoma (554[13.0%]). Overall, 1227 (28.7%) patients received first-line systemic therapy. Among these patients, 325 (26.5%) received docetaxel plus gemcitabine and 231 (18.8%) received doxorubicin alone. Only 476 patients received second-line therapy (11.1%), most commonly doxorubicin alone (n = 101). Median overall survival (95% confidence interval) from advanced STS diagnosis was 8.9 (8.3, 9.7) months.

Conclusions

Although previous studies of younger populations reported anthracycline-based therapy predominated in first line, our study of older advanced STS patients found that docetaxel plus gemcitabine was most commonly used. Despite variation by histologic category, prognosis remains poor for older adult patients with advanced STS.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13569-018-0094-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cost-Effectiveness of Olaratumab in Combination with Doxorubicin for Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcoma in the United States

BACKGROUND

Standard first-line treatments for advanced soft tissue sarcoma (STS) have changed little for 40 years, and outcomes have been poor. Recently, the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration conditionally approved olaratumab in combination with doxorubicin (Olara + Dox) based on a randomized phase II trial that reported a significant 11.8-month improvement in median survival versus single-agent doxorubicin (Dox). The present study investigated the cost-effectiveness of Olara + Dox compared with Dox and five other standard-of-care regimens from the US payer perspective.

METHODS

An economic model was constructed to estimate costs and outcomes over patients' lifetimes from start of therapy. Progression-free and overall survival were based on survival analysis of patient-level data and a meta-analysis. Adverse-event rates were based on trials. Costs were from published sources.

RESULTS

Olara + Dox resulted in an estimated additional 1.27 life-years (LYs) compared with Dox, with an increase in total expected lifetime costs of $133,653. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated at $105,408 per LY gained; in a fully incremental analysis, all other regimens were dominated (higher costs and lower LYs or a higher ICER).

CONCLUSION

Olara + Dox is cost-effective for STS treatment compared with Dox and other standard-of-care regimens at willingness-to-pay thresholds of $150,000 per LY and above.

A cohort study on the risk of lymphoma and skin cancer in users of topical tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, and corticosteroids (Joint European Longitudinal Lymphoma and Skin Cancer Evaluation - JOELLE study)

Background

There is a concern that topical tacrolimus and pimecrolimus, indicated for second-line treatment of atopic dermatitis, may increase the risk of lymphoma and skin cancer, particularly in children.

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare incidence rates (IRs) of lymphoma and skin cancer between new users of topical tacrolimus or pimecrolimus and users of moderate- to high-potency topical corticosteroids (TCSs) and untreated subjects.

Methods

This is a multicenter cohort study with frequency matching by strata of propensity scores in population databases in the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, and the UK. IR ratios (IRRs) were estimated using Mantel–Haenszel methods for stratified analysis.

Results

We included 19,948 children and 66,127 adults initiating tacrolimus, 23,840 children and 37,417 adults initiating pimecrolimus, 584,121 users of TCSs, and 257,074 untreated subjects. IRs of lymphoma per 100,000 person-years were 10.4 events in children and 41.0 events in adults using tacrolimus and 3.0 events in children and 27.0 events in adults using pimecrolimus. The IRR (95% confidence interval [CI]) for lymphoma, tacrolimus versus TCSs, was 3.74 (1.00–14.06) in children and 1.27 (0.94–1.71) in adults. By lymphoma type, the highest IRR was 3.17 (0.58–17.23) for Hodgkin lymphoma in children and 1.76 (95% CI, 0.81–3.79) for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) in adults. For pimecrolimus versus TCSs, the highest IRR was 1.31 (95% CI, 0.33–5.14) for CTCL in adults. Compared with untreated subjects, adults using TCSs had a higher incidence of CTCL (IRR, 10.66; 95% CI, 2.60–43.75). Smaller associations were found between tacrolimus and pimecrolimus use and the risk of malignant melanoma or nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Conclusion

Use of topical tacrolimus and pimecrolimus was associated with an increased risk of lymphoma. The low IRs imply that even if the increased risk is causal, it represents a small excess risk for individual patients. Residual confounding by severity of atopic dermatitis, increased monitoring of severe patients, and reverse causation could have affected the results.

Real-world outcomes in patients with ALK-positive non-small cell lung cancer treated with crizotinib

Background

Crizotinib has shown greater efficacy in clinical trials than chemotherapy in patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive (alk+) non-small cell lung cancer (nsclc), but little information is available on its use and outcomes in real-world settings. We therefore assessed treatment patterns and outcomes in alk+ nsclc patients treated with crizotinib in regular clinical practice.

Methods

A retrospective medical record review was conducted in North America for adults with alk+ nsclc treated with crizotinib as first- or later-line therapy for metastatic disease between 1 August 2011 and 31 March 2013 (for the United States) or 1 May 2012 and 31 March 2013 (for Canada). Crizotinib-related trial enrollees were excluded. Descriptive analyses were conducted to assess treatment patterns and objective response rate (orr). Progression-free survival (pfs) and overall survival (os) were descriptively analyzed using Kaplan-Meier methods.

Results

Data were extracted for 212 patients in the United States (n = 147) and Canada (n = 65). Mean (standard deviation [sd]) age was 58.9 (9.5) years, and 69% were male. Seventy-nine patients (37%) were deceased at record abstraction. Sixty-five percent (n = 137) initiated crizotinib as first-line therapy. Mean (sd) duration of crizotinib treatment was 8.7 (4.9) months. Objective response rate was 66% (69% for first-line recipients, 60% for second-/later-line). Median (95% ci) pfs and os from crizotinib initiation were 9.5 (8.7, 10.1) and 23.4 (19.5, -) months, respectively. One- and two-year survival probabilities were 82% and 49%, respectively.

Conclusions

Outcomes for crizotinib recipients in this study align with previous trials, with orr appearing more favourable in first-line recipients. Our findings indicate that crizotinib outcomes in clinical studies may translate to regular clinical practice.

Abstract P3-10-14: Clinical and economic burden of HER2-positive breast cancer recurrence in the US: A literature review

Background: Despite available treatment for early-stage breast cancer (BC), 15%-25% of patients with early-stage human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive (HER2+) BC eventually experience recurrence after initial treatment. The prognosis for women with HER2+ disease recurrence is poor. Most recurrences involve incurable metastatic disease. In the US, the total cost to society attributable to metastatic BC of any subtype was $12.2 billion accrued over 5 years, or $2.4 billion per year ($98,571 per patient-year). Treatment-related cost, 57% of total costs, was the largest contribution, with over $1.0 billion per year. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical and economic burden of recurrence in patients with early-stage HER2+ BC.

Methods: We conducted two systematic literature reviews (SLRs) and one targeted literature review (TLR) in PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. The SLRs (no publication date limit; clinical SLR conducted on November 8, 2016; economic SLR conducted on October 25, 2016) searched for randomized clinical trials of neratinib and other treatments and economic data (models, utility, resource use, and cost), and the TLR (publications published from January 2006 to September 2016) searched for burden-of-illness studies in early-stage HER2+ BC.

Results: A total of 4,708 abstracts (2,649 clinical SLR; 969 economic SLR; 1,090 TLR) were identified from all searches, and full-text review was conducted for 796 articles (507 clinical SLR; 151 economic SLR; 138 TLR). Of these, 159 (72 clinical SLR; 33 economic SLR; 54 TLR) followed protocol-specified criteria for inclusion. Based on clinical trials in the neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant setting, disease-free survival rates at 4 years ranged from 78% to 90%. HER2-targeting adjuvant regimens such as lapatinib added to trastuzumab and extending trastuzumab to 2 years have been unsuccessful in reducing the risk of recurrence. Women who had a recurrence, regardless of HER2 status, reported significantly poorer functioning on various quality of life (QoL) domains compared with women who remained disease free. All patients with early-stage BC, regardless of HER2 status, diagnosed with their first recurrence experienced cancer-related distress and no improvement in QoL (physical health and functioning) after 1 year. In the US, the total expected per-patient costs for all BC, regardless of HER2 status, over 10 years was $53,454 with metastatic recurrence, $61,601 with locoregional recurrence, and $61,188 with contralateral recurrence as compared with $42,005 (background costs) with no recurrence (2004 US $). The overall cost of recurrence in women with HER2+ BC in the US was estimated to be $240 million to $1.7 billion over the lifetimes of each 1-year cohort of 7,298 patients (2008 US $).

Conclusions: These results identified few studies on patients with early-stage HER2+ BC and suggest that future studies are warranted. Recurrence in women with HER2+ BC is associated with decreased QoL and high costs. After adjuvant therapy, there is still risk of recurrence, thus the clinical and economic burden remains. There is an unmet medical need in early-stage HER2+ BC, and new therapies are needed to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Citation Format: Masaquel C, Hurley D, Barnett B, Krieger T, Pearson I, Copley-Merriman C, Kaye JA, Moy B. Clinical and economic burden of HER2-positive breast cancer recurrence in the US: A literature review [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2017 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2017 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-10-14.

Treatment Patterns and Outcomes of Patients With Metastatic ER+/HER-2- Breast Cancer: A Multicountry Retrospective Medical Record Review

PURPOSE

To describe treatment patterns and clinical outcomes among postmenopausal women with metastatic ER⁺/HER-2^- breast cancer treated with ≥ 2 lines of endocrine therapy or chemotherapy in the metastatic setting.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Retrospective medical record review was conducted in Canada, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and France. Baseline characteristics were assessed at the date of metastatic diagnosis. Time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) were estimated by Kaplan-Meier analyses. Multivariable models were used to evaluate factors associated with disease progression.

RESULTS

Among 901 patients, the mean (standard deviation) age at metastatic diagnosis was 62.7 (9.7) years; 67.26% were initially diagnosed with metastatic disease, 66.37% had visceral disease, and 25.86% had bone metastasis only. Two-thirds of patients received endocrine therapy for first-line treatment. Fifty-nine percent received endocrine therapy, and 37.18% received chemotherapy for second-line treatment. The most common reason for stopping treatment was disease progression. Median (95% confidence interval [CI]) TTP on first-line endocrine treatment was 11.3 (10.7-12.2) months and 7.0 (6.3-7.9) months on chemotherapy. Median (95% CI) TTP on second-line endocrine therapy was 8.1 (7.5-9.1) months and 6.1 (5.4-6.8) months on chemotherapy. Median (95% CI) OS was 68.6 (52.2-83.7) months after first-line endocrine therapy and 39.7 (34.5-48.7) months after chemotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Patients prescribed endocrine therapy had longer TTP and OS than patients prescribed chemotherapy in the first- and second-line settings. Disease progression was less than a year regardless of treatment type and line of therapy, indicating a need for treatments that delay progression without affecting quality of life among these patients.

Time trends in utilization of G-CSF prophylaxis and risk of febrile neutropenia in a Medicare population receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to assess temporal trends in the use of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) prophylaxis and risk of febrile neutropenia (FN) among older women receiving adjuvant chemotherapy for early-stage breast cancer.

METHODS

Women aged ≥ 66 years with diagnosis of early-stage breast cancer who initiated selected adjuvant chemotherapy regimens were identified using the SEER-Medicare data from 2002 to 2012. Adjusted, calendar-year-specific proportions were estimated for use of G-CSF primary prophylaxis (PP) and secondary prophylaxis and FN risk in the first and the second/subsequent cycles during the first course of chemotherapy, using logistic regression models. calendar-year-specific mean probabilities were estimated with covariates set to modal values.

RESULTS

Among 11,107 eligible patients (mean age 71.7 years), 74% received G-CSF in the first course of chemotherapy. Of all patients, 5819 (52%) received G-CSF PP, and among those not receiving G-CSF PP, only 5% received G-CSF secondary prophylaxis. The adjusted proportion using G-CSF PP increased from 6% in 2002 to 71% in 2012. During the same period, the adjusted risk of FN in the first cycle increased from 2% to 3%; the adjusted risk increased from 1.5% to 2.9% among those receiving G-CSF PP and from 2.3% to 3.5% among those not receiving G-CSF PP.

CONCLUSION

The use of G-CSF PP increased substantially during the study period. Although channeling of higher-risk patients to treatment with G-CSF PP is expected, the adjusted risk of FN among patients treated with G-CSF PP tended to be lower than among those not receiving G-CSF PP.

Administration options for pegfilgrastim prophylaxis: patient and physician preferences from a cross-sectional survey

OBJECTIVE

Although clinical guidelines recommend administration of pegfilgrastim 1-4 days after a myelosuppressive chemotherapy cycle to decrease the incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN), some physicians administer pegfilgrastim on the same day as chemotherapy administration. A novel on-body injector (OBI) that automatically delivers pegfilgrastim the day after chemotherapy is also available. Our objective was to estimate patient and physician preferences among the pegfilgrastim administration options.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients receiving pegfilgrastim and physicians prescribing pegfilgrastim. Respondents' preferences for pegfilgrastim administration options were elicited using direct elicitation; the relative importance of features associated with the options was estimated in a point-allocation exercise. Physicians considered two hypothetical patient profiles when completing the exercises.

RESULTS

The samples included 200 patients and 200 physicians. Patients generally preferred the administration option with which they had experience. Among patients, 48.5% with previous in-clinic injections 24 hours after chemotherapy preferred this option; 56.8% with previous OBI administration preferred this option. For a clinically compromised patient, 37.5% of physicians preferred an in-clinic injection option; 49.5% preferred the OBI. For a less compromised patient, 55.5% preferred an in-clinic injection option; 28.0% preferred the OBI. Avoiding the need to return to the clinic was chosen most often as the most important treatment feature for patients and physicians.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients and physicians identified that returning clinic visits for pegfilgrastim administration may be burdensome. A potential solution to mitigate this burden is the OBI, which allows adherence to the labeled use of pegfilgrastim without return visits to the clinic.

Comparison of palbociclib in combination with letrozole or fulvestrant with endocrine therapies for advanced/metastatic breast cancer: network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Palbociclib is the first cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor approved in the United States for HR+/HER2- advanced/metastatic breast cancer, in combination with letrozole as initial endocrine-based therapy in postmenopausal women or with fulvestrant in women with disease progression following endocrine therapy. We compared progression-free survival (PFS) and discontinuations due to adverse events for palbociclib combinations against other endocrine therapies using a mixed-treatment comparison meta-analysis of randomized, controlled trials.

METHODS

A systematic literature review identified relevant trials. Separate analyses were conducted for each palbociclib combination using a Bayesian approach. Treatment rankings were established using the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA).

RESULTS

Sixty-five unique studies met inclusion criteria. Palbociclib plus letrozole had the highest SUCRA value (99.9%) and was associated with significantly longer PFS than all comparators in treatment-naïve patients (hazard ratios [HRs] ranged from 0.41 to 0.58). Palbociclib plus fulvestrant had the second highest SUCRA value (93.9%) and, in previously treated patients, yielded significantly longer PFS than most comparators (HRs ranged from 0.26 to 0.46); the exception was everolimus plus exemestane, with similar PFS (HR, 1.04; 95% credible interval [CrI], 0.58-1.76). Palbociclib plus fulvestrant was associated with significantly lower odds of discontinuation due to adverse events than everolimus plus exemestane (odds ratio, 0.14; 95% CrI, 0.05-0.39).

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that the two palbociclib combinations yielded significantly greater PFS than endocrine therapy in treatment-naïve and previously treated patients with advanced/metastatic breast cancer. Palbociclib plus fulvestrant was associated with significantly less toxicity than everolimus plus exemestane.

Cancer Incidence after Initiation of Antimuscarinic Medications for Overactive Bladder in the United Kingdom: Evidence for Protopathic Bias

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To estimate the incidence of 10 common cancers among patients treated with antimuscarinic medications for overactive bladder (AMOABs).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

DATA SOURCE

United Kingdom's Clinical Practice Research Datalink.

PATIENTS

A total of 119,912 adults with no previous cancer diagnosis who were new users of AMOABs-darifenacin, fesoterodine, oxybutynin, solifenacin, tolterodine, or trospium-between January 2004 and December 2012.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Sex-specific incidence rates per 1000 person-years and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for each study cancer (bladder, breast, colorectal, lung, melanoma, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, pancreatic, prostate, renal, and uterine cancer) overall and stratified by time since cohort entry and by cumulative AMOAB dose. Among the 119,912 patients followed for 399,365 person-years, 4117 incident study cancers occurred. The incidence rate of prostate cancer was 14.2 (95% CI 12.9-15.5) in the year after cohort entry and decreased markedly thereafter. The incidence rate of bladder cancer was also higher in the year after cohort entry than subsequently (men: 5.5, 95% CI 4.8-6.4; women: 1.2, 95% CI 1.0-1.5). The incidence rates of both prostate and bladder cancer decreased with increasing cumulative dose of AMOAB. We observed no similar relations between incidence rates of other study cancers and time since cohort entry.

CONCLUSION

High incidence rates of bladder and prostate cancer soon after AMOAB initiation and a negative correlation between incidence and cumulative AMOAB dose suggest that protopathic bias is a more likely explanation for these findings than causality. (Protopathic bias in this context means patients' urinary symptoms prompted treatment with an AMOAB, but the symptoms were actually due to a cancer that was already present, although not yet diagnosed or not yet recorded.) To avoid unnecessary delays in the diagnosis of prostate and bladder cancer, physicians should consider these diseases in patients for whom treatment with AMOABs is indicated.

A Matching-Adjusted Indirect Comparison of Sonidegib and Vismodegib in Advanced Basal Cell Carcinoma

OBJECTIVES

Based on single-arm trial data (BOLT), sonidegib was approved in the US and EU to treat locally advanced basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) ineligible for curative surgery or radiotherapy. Vismodegib, the other approved targeted therapy, also was assessed in a single-arm trial (ERIVANCE). We examined the comparative effectiveness of the two drugs using a matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) versus an unadjusted indirect comparison.

METHODS

After comparing trials and identifying potential prognostic factors, an MAIC was conducted to adjust for differences in key patient baseline characteristics. Due to BOLT's small sample size, the number of matching variables was restricted to two. Efficacy results for sonidegib were generated so that selected baseline characteristics matched those from ERIVANCE and were compared with published ERIVANCE results.

RESULTS

Matching variables were baseline percentages of patients receiving prior radiotherapy and surgery. After weighting, sonidegib objective response rate (ORR) and median progression-free survival (PFS) were effectively unchanged (prematched versus postmatched ORR and PFS, 56.1% versus 56.7% and 22.1 versus 22.1 months, resp.). Vismodegib's ORR and PFS were 47.6% and 9.5 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Comparative effectiveness of sonidegib versus vismodegib remains unchanged after adjusting BOLT patient-level data to match published ERIVANCE baseline percentages of patients receiving prior surgery and radiotherapy.

Incidence of second primary malignancies (SPM) in men with castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) in SEER-Medicare database

e13080

Background: A number of population-based epidemiological studies have been conducted to estimate incidence rates of SPM (newly detected malignancies) among cancer survivors, including those with prostate cancer. However, such data in patients with CRPC are limited. This study was conducted to estimate the incidence of SPM and overall survival (OS) in men with CRPC in the US. Methods: In the SEER-Medicare database, men aged > 65 years with prostate cancer diagnosed in 2000 through 2011 were eligible for the study if they had no other prior malignancy, had surgical or medical castration, and met the protocol-defined criteria for ascertaining castration resistance based on subsequent treatment with any of these therapies: abiraterone, cabazitaxel, docetaxel, enzalutamide, mitoxantrone, or sipuleucel-T. First SPM were identified in Medicare data as 1 inpatient claim, 2 outpatient claims, or 2 physician claims; or in SEER data as 1 diagnosis. Follow-up data ended in 2013. We estimated incidence of SPM as events per 100 person-years (py) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) and survival by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Among 2,234 men with CRPC (83.6% white; mean age, 76.6 years; 80.4% with bone metastases), we identified 172 with SPM, of which 20 (11.6%) were in SEER data. The incidence of all first SPM was 5.9 per 100 py (95% CI, 5.0-6.8). The most common of these were lung (n = 29), bladder (n = 22), colorectal (n = 21), other genitourinary cancers (n = 18), and non-colorectal gastrointestinal cancers (n = 17). Mean (SD) time from CRPC ascertainment to SPM was 1.0 (1.1) year. Median OS for the entire study population was 1.2 years (95% CI, 1.1-1.3) after CRPC ascertainment; estimated survival probabilities (95% CI) at 1, 3, and 5 years were 56% (54%-58%), 17% (15%-18%), and 9% (7%-11%), respectively. Conclusions: Most CRPC patients had claims for a diagnosis of bone metastasis when CRPC was ascertained. SPM were common among the study population and occurred relatively soon after CRPC. Most SPM were identified in Medicare rather than SEER data. These results provided context for the incidence of SPM in men with CRPC up to 2013.

Treatment patterns and outcomes of Stage IIIB/IIIC melanoma in France, Germany and the UK: A retrospective and prospective observational study (MELABIS)

AIM

Real-world data on treatment patterns/outcomes in patients with advanced melanoma, while scarce, are useful for health technology assessments that govern patient access in many countries. We collected retrospective data on treatment patterns among patients in France, Germany and the UK with Stage IIIB/IIIC melanoma with macroscopic lymph node involvement, whose primary melanoma and regional lymph node metastases had been completely resected.

METHODS

Patients ≥18 years were diagnosed between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2011. Data were obtained from patients' medical records and a patient survey.

RESULTS

Forty-nine centres provided data on 558 patients: 53.6% had Stage IIIB disease; 58.2% were of working age (<65 years), 22.5% reported a change in employment status due to melanoma, 8% were on long-term sick leave; and 35.1% were deceased over the study period. Overall median distant metastases-free survival was 23.4 months and median disease-free survival was 13.3 months. Hospitalisation frequency increased during distant metastatic/terminal disease phases. Adjuvant therapy was received by 7.0% (14/199) of patients in France, 2.6% (5/195) in the UK, and 33.5% (55/164) in Germany. Low-dose interferon was used more frequently than other regimens. High-dose interferon was associated with discontinuation in 28.6% and dose delay/reduction in 33.3% of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Rapid disease progression combined with increased use of healthcare resources in later phases of disease result in a high burden-of-illness for patients and healthcare providers. The use of adjuvant interferon therapy varies considerably in this population in the countries studied, highlighting the need for improved treatments for melanoma.

Abstract OT3-03-01: MADELINE: A prospective observational study of mobile app-based patient reported outcomes in advanced breast cancer

BACKGROUND: There have been few studies evaluating the day-to-day effects of advanced breast cancer (ABC) and its treatment on patients in a real-world setting.Palbociclib is a novel CDK4/6 inhibitor approved in the US for hormone-receptor positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor negative (HR+, HER2-) ABC/metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in combination with letrozole as initial endocrine based therapy in postmenopausal women or with fulvestrant in women with disease progression following endocrine therapy. With the introduction of this first-in-class drug it is important to understand the experiences of patients initiating ABC therapies including palbociclib in real-world settings and to document the management of these therapies. A smartphone-based mobile application has been developed to collect patient-reported outcome (PRO) data to assess the impact of ABC and associated treatment on symptoms, functioning and quality of life (QOL) as reported by patients. The application is further designed to provide patients initiating palbociclib with a virtual community to connect to others enrolled in the study for peer support. Additionally, clinical data on therapy management (e.g. dose modifications, interruptions, discontinuations, adverse event management and monitoring) will be obtained from patients' medical records to explore the association between patient reported functioning and neutropenia.

Study Design: A prospective, observational, non-interventional study. PROs collected via a mobile application and clinical data via case report forms completed by investigator.

Eligibility Criteria: Women with HR+/HER2– ABC receiving palbociclib in combination with letrozole or fulvestrant as per US label (Group 1) orapproved therapies for ABC other than palbociclib (Group 2). No comparison is intended between the 2 groups.

Specific Aims: The primary goals are to describe changes in patients' general health status as measured by monthly administration of the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey, describe changes in patients' psychological distress as measured by monthly administration of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and describe the extent to which ABC and its treatment are associated with changes in patients' lives in terms of symptoms, functioning and QOL as measured by daily and weekly administration of targeted patient-reported questions. Additionally, for patients who are employed at baseline, time lost from work in relation to breast cancer and its treatment will be quantified.Data from patients' medical records will be used to document changes in therapy as well as the incidence, severity, and duration of neutropenia. The association between patient reported functioning and neutropenia will also be assessed. Finally, real-world monitoring patterns will be assessed.

Statistical Methods: Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize all endpoints. Meta-data regarding use of virtual community resources will be explored for relationships to PRO data.

Present Accrual and Target Accrual: Approximately 450 patients from up to 30 US sites will be enrolled. Study duration will be approximately 12 months assuming 6 months of recruitment. It is expected the study will start enrollment Q3 2016.

Sponsor: Pfizer.

Citation Format: McRoy LL, Mitra D, Hollis K, Kaye JA, Zelnak A, Cheyl J. MADELINE: A prospective observational study of mobile app-based patient reported outcomes in advanced breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr OT3-03-01.

Abstract P5-08-18: Treatment patterns and resource utilization among patients with HR+/HER2– metastatic breast cancer in a privately insured US population

Background

Hormone receptor positive (HR+)/HER2– tumors are the most common subtype among patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Several newer therapeutic options have become available over the last decade, but little is known about the real-world treatment patterns and health care resource use (HCRU) in privately insured women with HR+/HER2– MBC.

Methods

An analysis of Truven MarketScan databases containing medical and drug utilization and productivity data from nearly 350 US payers was conducted. Patients aged 18-64 years with an ICD-9 diagnosis code of breast cancer along with ≥2 claims for secondary malignancy between 2007 and 2013 were selected. HR+/HER2– patients were identified based on receipt of endocrine therapy (ET) and absence of HER2-targeted therapies. Use of cancer-directed treatments following MBC diagnosis was analyzed. Treatment characteristics were examined by line of therapy (LOT). Average monthly all-cause and MBC-related HCRU were descriptively assessed.

Results

A total of 5,563 women with HR+/HER2– MBC (mean [SD] age, 54 [7.8] yrs) met the selection criteria. Overall, 97% of the total sample received ≥1 cancer-directed treatment. The most common treatment was ET (85%), followed by chemotherapy (CT) (70%), radiation (62%), and surgery (11%). Treatment patterns for CT alone and ET alone, including the top regimens by LOT, are presented in Table 1. Among those receiving a second LOT, nearly 44% switched to CT in the second line after having received ET alone in the first line. During the study follow-up, 56% of patients had ≥1 all-cause inpatient admission, 49% had ≥1 all-cause emergency department visit, and 9% had a hospice admission.

Table 1. Treatment patterns by LOT in patients with HR+/HER2- MBCLine 1 Line 2 Line 3 Line 4 n=5,179 (93%)* n=2,900 (52%)* n=1,608 (29%)* n=882 (16%)*  n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%)ET Alone3265 (63)ET Alone1468 (51)ET Alone534 (33)ET Alone217 (25)Anastrozole895 (27)Fulvestrant354 (24)Fulvestrant138 (26)Fulvestrant65 (30)Letrozole782 (24)Tamoxifen258 (18)Exemestane89 (17)Exemestane44 (20)Tamoxifen577 (18)Exemestane239 (16)Letrozole82 (15)Tamoxifen25 (12)Fulvestrant428 (13)Anastrozole239 (16)Tamoxifen82 (15)Letrozole20 (9)Exemestane299 (9)Letrozole197 (13)Anastrozole65 (12)Anastrozole14 (6)CT Alone1533 (30)CT Alone1057 (36)CT Alone818 (51)CT Alone505 (57)Paclitaxel413 (27)Capecitabine331 (31)Capecitabine265 (32)Capecitabine140 (28)Capecitabine286 (19)Paclitaxel224 (21)Paclitaxel156 (19)Paclitaxel93 (18)Cyclophosphamide-Doxorubicin → Taxane93 (6)Gemcitabine63 (6)Gemcitabine70 (9)Vinorelbine55 (11)Cyclophosphamide-Docetaxel82 (5)Docetaxel46 (4)Vinorelbine54 (7)Gemcitabine52 (10)Carboplatin-Paclitaxel77 (5)Vinorelbine46 (4)Doxorubicin45 (6)Doxorubicin34 (7)*Out of total 5,563 patients. Only top CT and ET regimens are listed.

Conclusions

A substantial decrease in the use of ET, with simultaneous increase in the use of CT, was observed as patients progressed to subsequent LOTs. Nearly half of those receiving ET alone in the first LOT switched to CT in the second LOT, suggesting a need for more effective non-CT treatments to bridge unmet therapeutic needs in this patient population.

Citation Format: Goyal RK, Carter GC, Nagar SN, Smyth EN, Price GL, Huang Y-J, Bromund JL, Li L, Schilder JM, Davis KL, Kaye JA. Treatment patterns and resource utilization among patients with HR+/HER2– metastatic breast cancer in a privately insured US population [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-18.

Abstract P5-08-19: Treatment patterns and resource utilization among elderly Medicare patients with HR+/HER2– metastatic breast cancer

Background

Therapeutic advances in metastatic breast cancer (MBC) over the last decade have led to several novel agents for the treatment of patients with hormone receptor positive (HR+)/HER2– MBC. However, current literature has little data on real-world treatment patterns and health care resource use, particularly among elderly women with HR+/HER2– MBC in the United States Medicare population.

Methods

A retrospective analysis of patients aged ≥66 years diagnosed with MBC during 2007 to 2011 was conducted using the SEER-Medicare database. Patients' HR and HER2 status was obtained from the SEER registry data. For patients with no HER2 data available, HER2− disease was determined based on the absence of HER2-targeted therapies within 12 months of diagnosis. Health care utilization and treatment patterns after MBC diagnosis were examined. Use of cancer-directed therapies, including chemotherapy (CT) and endocrine therapy (ET), were descriptively analyzed by line of therapy (LOT).

Results

A total of 3,622 women with HR+/HER2– MBC (mean [SD] age, 77 [7.3] years) were included. Over 90% of women received ≥1 cancer-directed treatment after MBC diagnosis, with ET being the most common (77%), followed by CT (50%), radiation (48%), and surgery (19%). Treatment with ET alone trended downward across LOTs, from 74% in the first LOT to 36% in the fourth LOT, with a corresponding increase in treatment with CT alone from 21% to 46% (Table 1). Among those receiving a second LOT, nearly 26% switched to CT in the second line after having received ET alone in the first line.

Table 1. Pharmaceutical treatment patterns by line of therapy among patients diagnosed with HR+/HER2– MBC (n = 3622)First-Line Second-Line Third-Line Fourth-Line N = 2,981 (82%)* N = 1,449 (40%)* N = 750 (21%)* N = 356 (10%)*  n (%) n (%) n (%) n (%)ET Alone2215 (74)ET Alone973 (67)ET Alone381 (51)ET Alone127 (36)Anastrozole893 (40)Fulvestrant282 (29)Fulvestrant99 (26)Fulvestrant38 (30)Letrozole602 (27)Exemestane190 (20)Exemestane76 (20)Tamoxifen27 (21)Tamoxifen253 (11)Anastrozole162 (17)Tamoxifen71 (19)Exemestane25 (20)Fulvestrant243 (11)Tamoxifen152 (16)Anastrozole46 (12)Anastrozole13 (10)Exemestane156 (7)Letrozole107 (11)Letrozole38 (10)Exemestane-FulvestrantN/ACT Alone639 (21)CT Alone336 (23)CT Alone264 (35)CT Alone165 (46)Paclitaxel136 (21)Paclitaxel76 (23)Paclitaxel78 (30)Paclitaxel39 (24)Cyclophosphamide-Docetaxel72 (11)Gemcitabine57 (17)Gemcitabine46 (17)Gemcitabine32 (19)Cyclophosphamide-Doxorubicin → Taxane69 (11)Docetaxel28 (8)Vinorelbine31 (12)Vinorelbine21 (13)Carboplatin-Paclitaxel43 (7)Vinorelbine27 (8)Docetaxel22 (8)Doxorubicin17 (10)Docetaxel39 (6)Doxorubicin21 (6)Doxorubicin21 (8)DocetaxelN/AN/A = not available (in accordance with the SEER-Medicare data use agreement, data for categories with cell size less than 11 are suppressed). *Out of total 3,622 patients. Note: Percentages do not add up to 100% as only the top CT and ET regimens are listed.

Conclusions

ET was the most common first-line treatment for elderly women with HR+/HER2– MBC in this study period. However, as patients progressed from first to fourth LOT, the proportion of patients treated with ET decreased substantially.

Citation Format: Goyal RK, Carter GC, Nagar SN, Smyth EN, Price GL, Huang Y-J, Bromund JL, Li L, Schilder JM, Davis KL, Kaye JA. Treatment patterns and resource utilization among elderly Medicare patients with HR+/HER2– metastatic breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-08-19.

Randomized controlled trials in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic literature review evaluated the clinical efficacy and safety of interventions used in relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma. Primary efficacy outcomes were objective response rate, progression-free survival and overall survival. Safety endpoints were grade 3/4 toxicities, serious adverse events and withdrawals or deaths due to toxicity. Studies were selected if they were randomized controlled trials reporting on the efficacy or safety of treatments for relapsed or refractory follicular lymphoma, and if outcomes were reported separately from trials that included other lymphoid neoplasms. We used the Bucher method for conducting adjusted indirect comparisons within a meta-analysis. We identified 10 randomized controlled trials of treatments for relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma. The most prominent drug investigated (alone or in combination) was rituximab. Most trials did not report median overall survival. Two trials reported median event-free survival (range, 1.2-23.2 months). Six of ten trials reported objective response rate (range, 9-93%). Meta-analysis showed only one statistically significant result: rituximab + bortezomib yielded a significantly higher objective response rate than rituximab monotherapy (relative risk, 1.28; 95% confidence interval, 1.11-1.47). Otherwise, there were no discernable differences in overall survival or progression-free survival, partly due to insufficient reporting of results in the clinical trials. The relatively small number of randomized controlled trials, few overlapping treatment arms, and variability in the randomized controlled trial features and in the endpoints studied complicate the formal comparison of therapies for relapsed/refractory follicular lymphoma. Additional well-designed randomized controlled trials are needed to fully understand the relative outcomes of older and more recently developed therapies.

Treatment Patterns, Costs, and Survival among Medicare-Enrolled Elderly Patients Diagnosed with Advanced Stage Gastric Cancer: Analysis of a Linked Population-Based Cancer Registry and Administrative Claims Database

PURPOSE

To assess real-world treatment patterns, health care utilization, costs, and survival among Medicare enrollees with locally advanced/unresectable or metastatic gastric cancer receiving standard first-line chemotherapy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a retrospective analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results-Medicare linked database (2000~2009). The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) first diagnosed with locally advanced/unresectable or metastatic gastric cancer between July 1, 2000 and December 31, 2007 (first diagnosis defined the index date); (2) ≥65 years of age at index; (3) continuously enrolled in Medicare Part A and B from 6 months before index through the end of follow-up, defined by death or the database end date (December 31, 2009), whichever occurred first; and (4) received first-line treatment with fluoropyrimidine and/or a platinum chemo-therapy agent.

RESULTS

In total, 2,583 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age at index was 74.8±6.0 years. Over 90% of patients died during follow-up, with a median survival of 361 days for the overall post-index period and 167 days for the period after the completion of first-line chemotherapy. The mean total gastric cancer-related cost per patient over the entire post-index follow-up period was United States dollar (USD) 70,808±56,620. Following the completion of first-line chemotherapy, patients receiving further cancer-directed treatment had USD 25,216 additional disease-related costs versus patients receiving supportive care only (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The economic burden of advanced gastric cancer is substantial. Extrapolating based on published incidence estimates and staging distributions, the estimated total disease-related lifetime cost to Medicare for the roughly 22,200 patients expected to be diagnosed with this disease in 2014 approaches USD 300 millions.